Who led the charge

Team

Ken Fais is the Chief Engineer at 1740 Broadway, a 580,000 sf office building, owned by Vornado Realty Trust. Since joining the 1740 team in July 2010, Ken has led the building’s efforts to improve performance, reduce resource consumption and make 1740 a noteworthy example of sustainable operations and maintenance. Ken has worked in the building industry for over 36 years.

1740 Broadway, New York, NY
Commercial Office Building - 580,000 sq. ft.

By implementing a rigorous operations and maintenance program and achieving LEED EBOM certification in 2010, Ken and his team reduced overall energy intensity in the building by 21%. They also increased the ENERGY STAR rating from 79 to 91 (Vornado’s highest rating!), improved recycling rates, and implemented a meaningful tenant engagement program using Vornado's Energy Information Portal (which is also used to help operators make more informed decisions about regulating the building’s heating and cooling systems).

Ken, supported by his team and the Property Manager, and working with Vornado’s Tenant Operations Coordinator, helped implement a transition to more sustainable tenant practices. Capital constraints were overcome by doing the majority of work in-house.

Informed by recommendations from an energy audit and retro-commissioning study, Ken was also able to improve building automation and controls. Because of these efforts, the building is now poised to recertify its LEED EBOM certification at the Gold or Platinum level next year. In addition, Vornado cross-trains Chief Engineers across their portfolio, enabling successful programs to be replicated in other buildings.

Carlos Arevalo | Helper, Vornado Realty Trust
Anthony Ioannou | Building Manager, Vornado Realty Trust
Andy Iorio | Lead Engineer, Vornado Realty Trust
Jesus Ramirez | Assistant Chief, Vornado Realty Trust
Gene Rivera | Helper, Vornado Realty Trust

"We achieved a 15 percent reduction in steam consumption by replacing an original pneumatic 1950 secondary water control system with six new electronic Belimo Valves connected to our Andover BAS. We would also secure the steam on days when heating was not needed, saving on standby losses."